Fearing Rape, Migrant Women Prepare For Crossing With Birth Control

A poster hanging in a migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico. The text reads "I have the right to be respected physically, sexually and psychologically," in Spanish.

Jude Joffe-Block

On Fronteras: Women migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border face many dangers on the journey, including rape. The crimes usually go unpunished. But there’s one case now in an Arizona court that is different.

...also, the U.S. Border Patrol says it’s refining its techniques when facing people who throw rocks at agents along the border.

...and Burmese refugees living in the Southwest are working hard to learn English - even though some are illiterate. They’re future depends on learning the language.

Finally, as spring rolls around, hear a commentary about the promise of the season, which can be both bountiful and bleak.

The U.S. Border Patrol has issued new guidelines for agents involved in rock throwing incidents. Contrary to widespread media reports, the new guidelines do not forbid agents from firing their weapons at rock throwers. Fronteras Desk reporter Lorne Matalon went to the scene of an incident in Juárez that helped shape the new directive.

Rape is one of the most widely known risks for women migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. And yet justice for those crimes is almost always elusive. As Jude Joffe-Block reports from the Fronteras Desk, women who make the journey are doing what they can to prepare for that grim possibility.

Burmese Refugees Learning English for Citizenship Test

Imagine trying to learn a brand-new language. Now imagine you’re in your 60s or 70s – and illiterate. That’s the scenario for many senior refugees resettled in Phoenix. From the Fronteras Desk, Stina Sieg recently visited a group whose future depends on learning English.

A graffiti artist from South Africa is visiting the U.S.-Mexico border to do a mural project promoting peace. Mónica Ortiz Uribe reports his goal is to inspire young people.

Commentary – Spring Harvest: Sometimes Bountiful, Sometimes Bleak

After the hard winter we saw this year – the reemergence of spring is a welcome site. As regular Fronteras commentator Yvette Benavides reminds us, the promise of spring comes and goes – past seasons can be bountiful and bleak at the same time.